Staff 'love' award for being in the top 20% of national school performance

South Hylton Primary Academy staff "loved" receiving a certificate and letter congratulating the school on being in the top 20% of primary schools nationally for pupil progress after a bumper set of Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) results.

The letter sent by the Schools, Students and Teachers (SSAT) network, which analyses school performance, said: "Congratulations to everyone at South Hylton Primary Academy on your excellent performance.

"We’re delighted to let you know that your school has won an SSAT Educational Outcomes award for being in the top 20% of schools nationally for pupil attainment in the 2023 Key Stage 2 (Year 6) tests.

"Receiving an Educational Outcomes Award is a significant achievement and a testament to the work of all your team.

"Congratulations once again to you, your team, and your pupils."

While pupils are no longer being given National Curriculum Levels, they are still assessed as to whether they are making expected progress relative to their age.

Children are assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and Key Stage 2 (Year 6) with schools compared nationally to assess the progress made by pupils of the same ability based on the starting point of their first test result.

Each school is then given a numerical value for reading, writing and maths, with zero representing pupils had made a level of progress exactly in line with the average level of progress of pupils nationally.

Children at South Hylton Primary Academy achieved positive scores in all three categories with values of 0.3 in reading, 3.3 (well above average) in writing and 2.9 (above average) in maths.

The results show on average, pupils at South Hylton achieved nearly half a grade higher in maths and more than half a grade higher in writing compared to their national peers.

Headteacher Christopher Mitchinson said: "We thought we had done well, but it was still great to get this recognition.

"I'm really proud of the staff and students. It's great to see the attention to detail and hard work of the staff and children has paid off.

"The staff loved getting the news as it provides external validation that all their time spent working with the children has paid off and been recognised."

Mr Mitchinson is planning on letting the children know the good news in a celebratory assembly.